Neoregelia plant named ‘Cookie’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Neoregelia  plant named ‘Cookie’, characterized by its upright and outwardly arching growth habit; relatively rapid growth rate; leaves that are dark green and dark burgundy variegated in color; and good interiorscape and landscape performance.

Botanical designation: Neoregelia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Cookie’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Neoregelia plant, botanically known as Neoregelia hybrid and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Cookie’.

The new Neoregelia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Princeton, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Neoregelia plants with uniquely colored leaves.

The new Neoregelia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2002 in Princeton, Fla. of an unnamed proprietary selection of Neoregelia carolinae, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Neoregelia hybrid ‘Loie's’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Neoregelia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Princeton, Fla. in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Neoregelia plant by offsets in a controlled environment in Princeton, Fla. since 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Neoregelia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Neoregelia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Cookie’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Cookie’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Neoregelia:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly arching growth habit.     -   2. Relatively rapid growth rate.     -   3. Leaves that are dark green and dark burgundy variegated in         color.     -   4. Good interiorscape and landscape performance.

Plants of the new Neoregelia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia have shorter and more upright         leaves than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Neoregelia and the female parent selection         differ in leaf coloration.     -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia are stronger and less         susceptible to root rots than plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Neoregelia differ from plants of the male parent, ‘Loie's’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘Loie's’ differ in leaf         coloration.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Neoregelia develop their         predominant dark burgundy coloration earlier than leaves of         plants of ‘Loie's’.     -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia are more high temperature         tolerant than plants of ‘Loie's’.

Plants of the new Neoregelia can be compared to plants of the Neoregelia hybrid ‘Perfection’, not patented. Plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘Perfection’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia are more compact than plants of         ‘Perfection’.     -   2. Plants of the new Neoregelia flower earlier than plants of         ‘Perfection’.     -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘Perfection’ differ in leaf         coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Neoregelia plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Neoregelia.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical vegetative plant of ‘Cookie’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet is a top perspective view of a typical vegetative plant of ‘Cookie’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Cookie’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Cookie’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in Princeton, Fla. during the spring under commercial practice in a polypropylene-covered shade house with day temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 32° C., night temperatures ranging from 7° C. to 29° C. and light levels averaging 3,200 foot-candles. Single plants used for the photographs and description were 18 months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Neoregelia hybrid ‘Cookie’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Neoregelia carolinae, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Neoregelia hybrid ‘Loie's’, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By offsets.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 30 days at 30° C. to             32° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 45 days at 30° C. to             32° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three to             four months at 30° C. to 32° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About three to             four months at 18° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; yellow to             tan in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and outwardly arching             growth habit; rosette leaves are erect when young, becoming             outwardly arching with development; plants readily produce             uniform offsets; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, vegetative and flowering plant.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread, vegetative and flowering             plant.—About 38 cm.         -   Internode length, vegetative and flowering plants.—About 5             mm. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rosette, spiral phyllotaxis; simple; sessile,             clasping.         -   Shape.—Oblong to broadly ensiform.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Serrate, spinose.         -   Length.—About 26.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 5.8 cm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous; leathery.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, vegetative plants upper surface:             Longitudinal stripes of close to 158C and close to 147A to             147B. Developing leaves, vegetative plants lower surface:             Longitudinal stripes of close to 158C to 158D and close to             147A to 147B. Developed leaves, vegetative plants, upper             surface: Longitudinal stripes of close to 187B to 187D and             darker than 147A, venation, darker than 147A. Developed             leaves, vegetative plants, lower surface: Longitudinal             stripes of close to 187D, 186A and 147A; venation, close to             146A. Upper leaves, flowering plants, upper surface:             Longitudinal stripes of close to 187A to 187C and muted             147A. Upper leaves, flowering plants, lower surface:             Longitudinal stripes of close to 187D, 186A and muted 147A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence form.—Terminal flat-topped compact corymb             located inside the leaf rosette; about 98 flowers develop             per inflorescence.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one to two             days on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 6.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.3 cm.         -   Flower size.—Length: About 4.3 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.6 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: Close to 91B.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Three in a single whorl. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Length: About 3.1 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 84A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 85C. Fully             opened, upper surface: Towards the apex, close to 84A;             center and towards the base, close to NN155D. Fully opened,             lower surface: Towards the apex, close to 85B; center and             towards the base, close to NN155D.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: One. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 6 mm.             Texture: Membraneous. Color: Towards the apex, close to             146C; towards the base, close to 157D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Three in a single whorl. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.             Length: About 2.2 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper surface: Towards the apex, close to             146C; towards the base, close to 157A. Color, lower surface:             Towards the apex, close to 146C; towards the base, close to             157C.         -   Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect.             Length: About 3.7 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to NN155D.         -   Pedicels.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect to             somewhat outward. Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to NN155D.         -   Stamens.—Quantity per flower: About six. Filament length:             About 1.1 cm. Filament color: Close to NN155D. Anther shape:             Lanceolate. Anther length: About 4 mm. Anther color: Close             to NN155B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             155A to 155B.         -   Pistils.—Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             3 cm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to NN155C.             Style length: About 1.7 cm. Style color: Close to NN155C.             Ovary color: Close to NN155A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about     37° C. -   Interior & garden performance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have     been observed to have good postproduction longevity under interior     conditions and to have good garden performance. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Neoregelia has not been observed. 

1. A new and distinct Neoregelia plant named ‘Cookie’ as illustrated and described. 